1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sanitary panty with superior wear ability and wearing comfort.
2. Description of the Related Art
A sanitary panty typically has a structure, in which a waterproof sheet is sewn on inner side of crotch cloth portion of a general panty for preventing leakage and external extruding of menstrual blood. Since the sanitary panty is required to prevent side leakage or so forth due to motion of body or variation of attitude in sporting and sleeping, various measures have been taken in sewing position and dimension of the waterproof sheet. Various measures have also been taken for overall structure of the sanitary panty to provide superior wear ability and wearing comfort.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kohyo) No. Heisei 9-504194 (corresponding to British Patent No. 2 282 522) discloses a sanitary panty taken the measure as set forth above. FIGS. 5A and 5B are front elevation and back elevation of typical one of the sanitary panties disclosed in the above-identified publication.
The sanitary panty illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B includes a front part 1, a back part 2 and an intermediate crotch part 3. The sanitary panty is also provided with waist elastic which has the form of elastic ribbons 4 and 5 mounted along the front part 1 and the back part 2 of the waist edge, and a pair of leg openings 6 and 7 which are formed by connecting the elastic ribbons 4 and 5.
The sanitary panty is also provided with two elastic threads 11 and 12 which extend between the respective elastic ribbons 4 and 5 of the front and back parts 1 and 2, symmetrically in relation to a center line Oxe2x80x94O extending in the longitudinal direction of the panty. In the front part 1, the elastic threads 11 and 12 extend divergently from the waist edge of the front part 1 to the crotch part 3. In the back part 2, the elastic threads 11 and 12 extend close together and parallel with the longitudinal panty line from the waist edge of the back part 2 to the crotch part 3.
Also, the sanitary panty includes elastic threads 13 and 14 which lie laterally outsides of the threads 11 and 12 to extend across the front part 1, the crotch part 3 and the back part 2 and be connected to the elastic ribbons 4 and 5. The elastic threads 13 and 14 are mutually convergent in the crotch part 3 of the sanitary panty and are mutually divergent toward the waist edge of the front part 1 and the back part 2 of the sanitary panty along the center line Oxe2x80x94O.
In the sanitary panty shown in FIG. 5, the crotch part 3 is pulled upwardly by means of four elastic threads 11, 12, 13 and 14 for urging a sanitary napkin to the wearer""s body at the crotch part. Thus, lateral disposition of the sanitary napkin can be prevented to prevent leakage and external extruding of the menstrual blood from the sanitary napkin.
In the conventional sanitary panty as set forth above, four elastic threads 11, 12, 13 and 14 are employed as an elastic member for pulling the crotch part 3 upwardly. Accordingly, in the lower portion of the front part 1 and the lower portion of the rear part 2, the thin elastic threads 11, 12, 13 and 14 locally contact with the skin of the wearer to significantly degrade wearing comfort.
On the other hand, the elastic threads 11, 12, 13 and 14 having function for pulling up the sanitary napkin for firmly fitting the latter to the wearer are connected to the elastic ribbons 4 and 5 at respectively one point. As a result, upon firmly fitted to a waist portion of the wearer by elastic force of the elastic ribbons 4 and 5, the side portions of the elastic ribbons mainly serve for preventing the sanitary panty from slacking down. The elastic ribbons 4 and 5 at abdominal region and back region (hit side) tends to have slightly lower tightening in fitting on the wearer""s body.
That is, when the elastic threads 11, 12, 13 and 14 are connected to the elastic ribbons 4 and 5 at respective one point, the tension force of the elastic threads is locally exerted to the elastic ribbons 4 and 5 to possibly curve or droop the elastic ribbons 4 and 5 downwardly toward the crotch part 3 at the portions respectively contacting with the abdominal region and the back region (hip side) to result in slacking down of the sanitary panty. Then, the tension force of the elastic threads 11, 12, 13 and 14 along the center line Oxe2x80x94O can be lowered. As a result, the biasing force to be exerted to the sanitary napkin to the crotch part of the wearer""s body is lowered to increase possibility of occurrence of disposition of the sanitary napkin.
Also, since the conventional sanitary panty has a structure, in which the thin elastic threads 11, 12, 13 and 14 are fitted to cloth forming the front part 1 and the back part 2, the crease can be easily formed in the cloth at the portions where the elastic threads 11, 12, 13 and 14 are provided. Also, since the sanitary panty has a structure to easily get loose of the elastic threads 11, 12, 13 and 14 in the worn condition as set forth above, the crease can be formed in the cloth at the portions of the elastic threads even if the sanitary panty is firmly pulled up in wearing.
The crease may provide uncomfortable feeling for the wearer""s skin in the abdominal portion or the back portion (hip portion) of the body to significantly degrade wearing comfort. Also, the crease may influence for slacks, pants or the like to make the crease visible externally.
An object of the present invention is to provide a sanitary panty which can prevent an elastic member serving for pulling up a sanitary napkin fitted on crotch part, from slacking and whereby can prevent the sanitary napkin from causing side disposition, hardly slacking down, and hardly forming the crease.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a sanitary panty may comprise:
a front part;
a back part;
a crotch part positioned between the front part and the back part;
a waist portion formed by upper end portions of the front part and the back part;
a pair of leg openings formed below joining portions between side edges of the front part and side edges of the back part;
a suspending member formed with a stretchable material and extending from the front part, the crotch part and the back part, the suspending member being gradually reduced a width from the waist portion to the crotch part in the back part; and
an extension cloth extending from both sides of the suspending member to the leg openings at least in the crotch part.
In the preferred construction, in the crotch part, a width W1 of the suspending member is greater than or equal to 10 mm and less than or equal to 40 mm, and more preferably greater than or equal to 20 mm and less than or equal to 40 mm.
A narrow width portion in which a width falls within a range of the width W1, may be provided in the suspending member from the crotch part to a given height position of the back part.
Both side portions of the suspending member located in the front part may be connected to both side portions of the suspending member located in the back part to form the waist portion with the stretchable material forming the suspending member.
The extension cloth may be provided from the crotch part to the back part to form a hip receiving portion.
The extension cloth may be further extended from both sides of the suspending member in the front part, both end portions of the extension cloth located in the front part and both end portions of the extension cloth located in the back part are connected to form the entire circumference of the leg openings with a material of the extension cloth.
The front part may be formed only by the material forming the suspending member.
The material forming the extension cloth may be not stretchable or has smaller stretching amount than that of the suspending member when the same tension force is applied.
The material forming the extension cloth may have stretchability and may have an elastic stress smaller than that of the stretchable material forming the suspending member, when the extension cloth and the suspending member are stretched in the same amount.
A waterproof sheet having stretchability and moisture permeability may be fitted inside of the crotch part or a portion extending from the crotch part to the back part.
The sanitary panty according to the present invention is provided with the suspending member formed with the stretchable material over the crotch part to the waist portion of the back part. The suspending member increases a width gradually from the crotch part to reach the waist portion. Thus, in the waist portion, the elastic stress of the suspending member will never be locally exerted but can be distributed over the entire length of the waist portion.
Accordingly, the sanitary panty is hardly slacked down to permit firm fitting of the entire back part to the back and hit portion of the wearer""s body. Accordingly, the suspending member will never be relaxed to assure firm fitting of the sanitary napkin to successfully prevent side disposition. Also, the crease is hardly formed in the back part. Also, since the extension cloths having low stretchability are provided on both sides of the suspending member, the hip portion can be comfortably supported by the extension cloths like a normal panty.